This invention relates to a process for injecting a mixture into the ground to act as a containment/isolation barrier for fluids or gases or to act as an in situ waste remediation process either by biological or chemical means.
The contamination of ground water and subterranean formations are serious environmental problems. There are numerous sites containing toxic substances which are spreading in the ground and into ground water systems. Conventional methods of containing the spreading of these contaminants have involved construction of slurry trenches and pumping/withdrawal of ground water.
An object of the present invention is an improved process to contain the spreading of contaminants in the ground and in the ground water systems.
An object of the present invention is an improved process to control the orientation, shape, size and aperture of induced fractures in the ground.
Another object of the present invention is an improved process of delivering oxygen, nutrients and microbes to zones of contaminated ground.
The method of hydrofracing is well known for its use in stimulating petroleum and water wells in consolidated rock formations. The resulting orientation, shape and size of the fractures are not well controlled.
It is well known that many contaminants in the ground can be rendered innocuous by bioxidation. However, the mass transfer of oxygen into the ground is limited by the diffusion of oxygen gas, the permeability of the ground and the solubility of oxygen in water. Aqueous solutions of hydrogen peroxide have been used as a source of oxygen for bioxidation. However, the penetration of the hydrogen peroxide into the ground is limited and the release rates and concentration of oxygen in the ground are poorly controlled.